Judith Boice, ND, LAc, FABNO - The following is a foolproof recipe for catching a cold or the flu in one long, exhausting week. Mix the ingredients carefully. Some substitutions are allowed, e.g. substitute a sick spouse or co-worker for a child.

3 – 4 hours of sleep per night

4 – 6 cookies per day

1 midterm exam for the evening MBA class

2 presentations at work

30 ounces of fluid per day

2 sick children at home

1 serving of fruits and vegetables per day (and some days that one serving is ketchup)

3 difficult phone calls (one with your boss, one with your mother, one with your ex)

1 sudden weather shift, with a 30 degree temperature drop overnight

25 minutes waiting for the bus in the rain

This recipe includes the finest ingredients for stressing the immune system and creating the perfect internal environment for developing a cold or the flu. In truth we don’t “catch” a cold; viruses and bacteria surround us all the time. We become ill when a potent enough virus encounters a weakened immune system.

Let’s examine the ingredients to discover how to boost rather than undermine your immune system’s health.

Sleep: Sleeping less than seven hours per night increases the risk for developing both acute and chronic diseases. Lack of sleep decreases the activity of natural killer cells and B cells, important components of our immune system’s ability to respond to acute infections.¹ Regularly sleeping less than seven hours per night also increases the risk for developing gastric, colorectal, and lung cancer.² ³ 4 Increasing sleep is one of the most enjoyable ways of preventing colds and the flu.

Foods: Eating even small amounts of refined sugar can depress immune function up to 24 hours. Snack on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers and almond butter, and fresh nuts. The most recent research suggests eating seven or more servings⁵ ⁶ of fruits and vegetables per day supports optimal immune function.

Stress: What constitutes “stress” is different for each of us. Anticipating stressful situations, e.g. the two presentations at work, an exam⁷, or a conversation with an angry boss, can weaken the immune system. Sometimes the mind can handle more stress than the physical body. Many professional athletes, for example, are trained to ignore or override their body’s distress signals. They take that training into their daily lives, often with unhealthy consequences.

The phone call with Mom may trigger every childhood pattern you thought you had resolved. The difficult interaction with the boss may increase frustration or disappointment.

Plan ahead and minimize stressful phone calls and interactions during busy weeks, including holidays. Plan something relaxing or rejuvenating afterward, e.g. a walk or time to dig in the garden. Physical activity helps to “use up” the stress related hormones, e.g. epinephrine and norepinephrine, that are dumped during stressful encounters. Work with a counselor, minister, or mentor to resolve underlying issues.

Weather changes and exposure to the elements

In the West we like to think we are impervious to the elements. What could standing in the cold rain have to do with developing a cold? Chinese medicine recognizes the impact of the elements on the body. Colds, for example, are considered an invasion of wind, dampness, cold, or heat. From Chinese understanding, these elements are particularly prone to enter the body through the back of the neck. You can help prevent colds by wearing a scarf, especially during windy weather. Wear a silk or cotton scarf during warm, windy weather and an acrylic or wool scarf in winter. We lose the majority of our heat through the top of the head (darn, Mom was right about that), so wearing a hat is helpful as well.

Dehydration: our respiratory tracts are lined with mucous membrane tissue rich with immuneglobulins to fight bacteria and viruses. When we are dehydrated, the ratio of immune globulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) changes, the immune system is suppressed, and neutrophil activity is decreased.⁸ In essence, the respiratory tract is more vulnerable to invasion by bacteria and viruses. Remember that drinks sweetened with refined sugars decrease immune function. Drink more water, herb teas and diluted 100% fruit juices.

Exposure to viruses and bacteria

Although we are surrounded by bacteria and viruses all the time, the virulence (strength) of the viruses and their sheer number influence whether or not we will become ill. Two sick children are perfect carriers, as are travelers coughing on the plane and a coworker sneezing in the next cubicle. You can minimize these exposures by regularly cleaning commonly used surfaces (e.g. sink handles, doorknobs, light switches, refrigerator door handles, etc.) Using a neti pot can also reduce viral exposure.

Take action

What should you do at the first sign of a cold? As soon as you notice fatigue, chills, a runny or stuffy nose, etc., begin this treatment right away:

Begin taking Hevert Cold and Flu Relief. Below is a partial list of ingredients and their known benefits contained in this homeopathic medicine:

• Aconite: this homeopathic remedy is indicated at the first sneeze, particularly if cold symptoms begin after exposure to cold or dry wind, e.g. raking leaves on a cool, windy autumn day.

• Echinacea: increases the number and activity of infection fighting white blood cells

• Belladonna: this homeopathic remedy also addresses sudden onset of fever with full, pounding headache and heat in the upper body.

• Bryonia: for dry mucous membranes, extreme thirst for cold water, and pain that is worse with the least movement.

Gargle and rinse the nose with warm salt water.

Rest. Go to bed as soon as possible. Ideally stay in bed for at least 24 hours after the fever passes.

Increase fluids to at least half your body weight in ounces of fluid (e.g. at least 100 ounces of fluid for a 200 pound person).

Krueger JM and Majde JA. Sleep as a host defense: its regulation by microbial products and cytokines. Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology (1990): 188-199.